Queensland Rail has shifted the network to a modified Saturday-style timetable, axing 273 train services and cutting Springfield Line peak frequencies from every six minutes to every 15, with no confirmed end date in sight for commuters travelling between Springfield Central, Springfield, Richlands and Darra.
For Springfield Lakes, Springfield, Richlands and Darra commuters who depend on the Springfield Line to reach the city for work, the cut represents a significant daily disruption with no confirmed end date. Queensland Rail says the reduction is necessary because 42 three-car sets are currently offline awaiting maintenance, leaving 20 per cent of the train fleet unavailable.
“The simple fact of the matter is that we do not have enough trains to run our full timetable,” Queensland Rail head of corporate affairs Nev Conway said.
Behind the service cuts
The timetable cuts, which will take effect on Tuesday 5 May, stem from a maintenance backlog Queensland Rail attributes to rolling industrial action by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), involving 880 notices of industrial action lodged against the network. All three unions are in a wage dispute affecting maintenance workers across the Queensland Rail network.
The unions dispute that characterisation. The ETU argues that Queensland Rail’s decision to withhold pay from employees for performing partial duties, communicated to workers on Friday morning, is the direct cause of the timetable collapse. The AMWU echoes that position, arguing the disruption stems from poor planning rather than strike action alone.
“The AMWU has made it clear for weeks that industrial action can be withdrawn if agreement is reached on just two key classification-based claims,” an AMWU spokesperson said. “Commuters are paying the price.”
Queensland Rail last week also cut train capacity from six-car to three-car sets before this week’s further reduction in services. The timetable will be cut again if the maintenance backlog continues to grow.
For Springfield Line commuters
From Tuesday 5 May until further notice, Springfield Line services run every 15 minutes during morning and afternoon peak hours, and every 30 minutes off-peak. Trains will be more crowded due to the simultaneous reduction in service frequency and the use of three-car sets instead of six-car sets. Commuters should expect delays at platforms and allow additional travel time, particularly during peak windows.
Airtrain services remain unaffected by the timetable changes.
Queensland Rail has issued 471 return-to-work notices to its maintenance workforce, with 490 maintenance employees facing loss of pay if they continue to participate in strike action.
Planning your trip this week
Commuters on the Springfield Line are strongly advised to check the TransLink journey planner before leaving home each day, as live updates to services will continue to be published there. Services may be reduced further if the backlog of maintenance work continues to grow.
The situation is being reviewed against a union response deadline of 7 May. Until an agreement is reached, the reduced timetable will remain in place.
For live service updates, click here or download the TransLink app. Replacement bus services are operating at some stations to manage overflow demand.
Published 4-May-2026
